Door-check.



Patented July 3, I900.

A Rm 4 2 5 6 0 N DOOR CHECK.

(Application filed Jan. 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

we NORRIS PETERS co. PNOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON. a. c.

'N-ITED- STATES:

PATENT DOOR-CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. osaveauatedaul 3, 1900.

Application filed January 22, 1900:. Serial No. 2,394. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. COLBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Door-Checks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to door-checks, and particularly to thatconstruction in which the air under compression in a cylinder is allowedto escape, permitting a spring to effect the final closing of the door.

The invention has for its object to simplify and improve theconstruction of the cylinder and air-compressing piston therein byproviding a tubular stem extending from, and comin unicating with theworking face of the pis ton and adapted to contact with a separatedmember for the purpose of primarily checking or preventing the escape ofair from the cylinder either wholly or partially, so as to receive theinitial impact of the separate member and afterward permit a gradualescape of air from the cylinder as desired and according to thenecessities of the case in the final closing and latching of the door.

The invention has for a further object to:

provide means for mounting the'cylinder of the check so as to permit anoscillatory motion of the same in a horizontal plane as may be needed todirect the stem towardthe'contacting member at a proper angle and torestore the cylinder to its initial position after such motion.

Another'object of the invention is to provide a tip, located upon thetubular stem, so as to substantially close the aperture in the primaryimpact or violent contact between the separatedmembers whose closing ismodified and governed by said invention and af-' bythe closing of thedoor. Fig. 2 is a longi tudinal section of the parts shown in Fig. 1with the door 'in a closed position. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of amodified application of the check mounted upon the door and adapted tocontact the casing, the door being shown in a closed position.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

In the application of the invention herein illustrated and described thechecking-cylinder, with its tubular stem extending from the piston, hasbeen shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as applied'to a door-casing, as at A, and adoor A is adapted to contact with the free end of the tubular stem,thereby forcing the same inward to compress the air within the cylinder.This position of the cylinder, however, is not essential, and it may bearranged in any desired location, as in Fig. 3, wherein it is shownmounted upon the door A and the free end of the tubular stem adapted tocontact the door-casin g A,the essential object being that the tubularstem through which the air escapes from the cylinder shall come incontact with a separated member however located It will also'be'understood that the door A'or other movable member the action ofwhich is sought to be governed or modified turn the door to its closedor latched position after the air under compression has escaped from thecylinder.

In the form and application of the invention here illustrated a cylinderB has been provided which may be of any desired size or construction,dependent upon the character of-the work to be accomplished. Thiscylinder is provided with any form of piston, preferably as shown at B,through which the tubular stem 13 extends and communicates with thespace between the working face of the piston and the closed end ofthe'cylinder. A suitable means is also provided for projecting this stemfrom the cylinder, and thus placing the piston in position forits-subsequent operation, and one form of which means'is illustrated inthe restoring-spring B, which may be connected at one end to the cap orcylinder-head B and at its opposite end to the piston. A. compressibletip 0, of

ail

suitable elastic material, is provided at the free end of the tubularstem andhas an aperture therein through which the air may escape fromthe tubular stem, said aperture being adapted to be closed by heavyinitial impact of a contacting member when in operation and after saidimpact to regain substantially its former normal form and condition andallow the air to escape through anotch O in the contact-surface of saidtip or through some equivalent aperture adapted to be closed by violentimpact. The tip is made of compressible material adapted to flatten oryield under the force of impact, whereby said notch or opening will befor the time being compressed or closed, forming in said cylinder acomplete or partial air-cushion, dependent upon the pressure upon thetip,

, whereby to overcome said impact, whereupon said tip will resumesufficiently its normal shape and dimensions, thus allowing said notchor opening to be restored, which will then permit the escape of air fromsaid cylinder and tubular stem. The construction whereby this result maybe accomplished may be varied without atfecting the principle of actiondescribed.

The parts herein described constitute the essential elements of theinvention and when placed in position for use leave the door perfectlyfree in its opening movement, as all the operative parts are mountedupon one member and are independent of the other.

The cylinder B may be mounted in any suitable manner and rigidly, ifdesired; but for the purpose of permitting an oscillating motion of thecylinder in order that the stem extending from the piston mayaccommodate itself to the are described by the point of contact with theseparate member means are herein illustrated for pivot-ally mounting thecylinder. In the present illustration this means consists of a band orsleeve D, surroundingthe cylinder and pivotally mounted by' means of apintle D in a securing-plate D In the form of the invention illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2 this plate may be applied to the casing of a door, andthus permits a free pivotal movement of the cylinder. lVhen thisoscillation of the cylinder is permitted, it is also necessary torestore the cylinder to itsinitial position for a subsequent operation,

and for this purpose a restoring-spring E, extending longitudinally ofthe cylinder, is provi'ded,which is shown as carried by the plate D andhas a portion E resting in a recess in said plate to prevent a pivotalmovement of the spring,while the opposite end E of said spring composesa loop through which the free end of the cylinder passes. It will beobvious that any oscillatory movement of the cylinder will place thespring E under tension, and when the cylinder and piston are freed fromthe contacting member the spring E acts to restore the piston to itsinitial position for the next operation. In the application of theinvention shown in Fig. 3, where the cylinder is carried by the door andcontacts with the casing, the sleeve D and spring E are shown as mountedon a bracket F. The construction and operation of' the parts in thismodified application of the invention are otherwise the same ashereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. It will beobvious that this pivotal mounting of the cylinder will permit the sameto be thrown to one side and out of operative position whenever desired,as the cylinder may be slipped through the loop E thus relieving thetension of the spring thereon and permitting the cylinder T to be turnedat an angle to its normal position or altogether removed for any desiredpurpose.

From the foregoing description the operation of the invention will beapparent, and it may be only necessary to state that the primary actionof the checking device is to stop the door in its closing motion underthe tension of its spring and afterward by the gradual escape of airfrom the cylinder through the escape-notch O to permit the final closingand latching of the door with an easy and practically-noiselessmovement. When the door is opened, no tension is exerted thereon by thechecking device, which in no wise resists the opening thereof; but, onthe contrary, it will be apparent that the restoringspring B acts ratherto assist in the opening of the door after the same has been unlatched.

It is obvious that the simple construction of the several parts permitsthe device to be readily and easily placed in position or removedwhenever found necessary or desirable, and the parts are readilyseparable for any purpose. While the invention has been illustrated asapplied for the purpose of checking the closing of a door, it may beapplied to any structure or device in which separated members areadapted to contact with each other, and although it has been shown in aparticular position upon the casing and also upon the door it may,however, be applied in any desired position, either upon the upper orside frame of the casing or door. It will be further obvious thatchanges can be made in the details of the construction of the cylinderand its operating parts and mechanism without departing from the spiritof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and-set forth its merits, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder having a closed end, apiston therein, a tubular stem communicatingwith the working face ofsaid piston, to permit the discharge of air therefrom, and a tipprovided upon the free end of said stem and adapted to partially orwholly prevent the discharge of air therefrom by contact with an objectseparate therefrom; substantially as specified.

2. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a piston thereinprovided with a tubular stem having an opening in its free end adaptedto wholly'or partially close by contact with an object separatetherefrom, and means for returning said piston to its initial position;substantially as described.

3. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a piston thereinprovided with a tubular stem having an opening in its free end adaptedto be Wholly or partially closed by contact with an object separatetherefrom, and a spring extending between said piston and a portion ofthe cylinder for restoring the piston to its initial position;substantially as specified.

4. A door and door casing or jamb in combination with a pneumaticdoor-check, comprising a cylinder pivoted to one of said members andfree to oscillate independently of the other member, a piston therein, atubular stem communicating with the working face of said piston, acompressible tip on the free end of said stem, and means for normallyprojecting said stem; substantially as specified.

5. A pneumatic door-check comprising a pivoted cylinder, a pistontherein, a tubular stem communicating with the working face of saidpiston, acompressible tip on the free end of said stem, means fornormally projecting said stem, and means for restoring said cylinder toits initial position after movement on its pivot; substantially asspecified.

6. In a pneumatic door-check the combination of a sleeve adapted to bepivoted to a fixed or immovable object, an air-cylinder longitudinallydisposed within said sleeve, a piston within said cylinder having atubular stem extending from the same, a compressible tip on the free endof said stem, and means for normally projecting said stem; substantiallyas described.

7. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, atubular stem extending to said piston, a tip on said stem having, adischarge-outlet at its free end, adapted to be automatically Varied incapacity by contact-pressure from a separated member, and

means for normally projecting said stem; substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a casing and door mounted therein, of a cylindersecured to one of said members and having a tubular stem to permit theescape of air from said cylinder and adapted tocont-act at the free endwith the other member to limit said escape; substantially as specified.

9. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a piston therein atubular stem communicating with the working face of the piston, acompressible tip on the free end of said stem, and means for normallyprojecting said stem; substantially as specified.

10. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, atubular stem connecting with the working face of said piston, means forprojecting said stem, and a sleeve surrounding said cylinder and adaptedto be swiveled in a support; substantially as specified.

11. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, atubular stem connecting with the working face of said piston, means forprojecting said stem, a sleeve surrounding said cylinder and swiveled ina support, and a restoring-spring embracing the free end of saidcylinder; substantially as specified.

12. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder, a com pressing-pistontl1erein,a sup porting-plate, a sleeve surrounding said cyl inder andswiveled in said plate, anda spring secured to said plate extendingparallel with said cylinder and embracing the free end thereof;substantially as specified.

13. A pneumatic door-check, comprising a cylinder, a compressing-pistontherein, a tubular stem connecting with the working face of said piston,means for normally projecting said stem, and a compressible tip upon thecontact end of said stem having therein an escape-recess extendingwithin its contactsurface; substantially as specified.

14. The combination with the door-casing and door mounted therein of acylinder pivotally mounted upon one of said members, a piston andtubular stem within said cylinder and adapted at its free end to contactwith the other member, means for projecting said stem, and means forrestoring said cylinder to its initial position; substantially asspecified.

15. A pneumatic door-check comprising a cylinder with means forcompressing air there in, and an automatically-variable dischargeopeningfrom said cylinder adapted to be con trolled by contact with an objectseparate therefrom; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR R. COLBURN.

Witnesses:

ALFRED T. GAGE, ALBERT HARPER.

